Ballarat and District Trotting Club is in a holding pattern with the timing of its cup next year. The group 1 Ballarat Pacing Cup is traditionally run in late January as the first meeting of the three-week Summer of Glory Carnival. However, owing to COVID-19 restrictions Harness Racing Victoria is still to schedule any race meetings or feature races for the new year. BDTC chief executive officer Paul Rowse said all the club could do at the moment was wait and see. "We've established our position as the opening night for harness racing's biggest carnival of the year. "We attract the best pacers from Australia and New Zealand leading into the Hunter Cup in this timeslot - enabling us to showcase the best the industry has. So we're keen to see the status quo remain," he said. "Hopefully by then we'll have crowds back. Our desire is to have a crowd." While there is yet to be a cup announcement, Ballarat has gained a feature race for its Boxing Day night race meeting. The HRV has added the group 3 $24,000 Maori Miss Trotters Free-For-All for mares, 2200m, to complement the 24,000 Sokyola Sprint, 1710m. Bray Raceway has also been allocated heats for the new timeslots of the Vicbred Super Series and Breeders Crown age classics. Wednesday, November 4: Breeders Crown 2yo fillies' and colts/geldings' heats Thursday, November 10: Vicbred Super Series 4yo mares' and entires/geldings' heats.
New Zealander AGs White Socks wins this year's Ballarat Pacing Cup.
Ballarat and District Trotting Club is in a holding pattern with the timing of its cup next year.
The group 1 Ballarat Pacing Cup is traditionally run in late January as the first meeting of the three-week Summer of Glory Carnival.
However, owing to COVID-19 restrictions Harness Racing Victoria is still to schedule any race meetings or feature races for the new year.
BDTC chief executive officer Paul Rowse said all the club could do at the moment was wait and see.
"We've established our position as the opening night for harness racing's biggest carnival of the year.
"We attract the best pacers from Australia and New Zealand leading into the Hunter Cup in this timeslot - enabling us to showcase the best the industry has. So we're keen to see the status quo remain," he said.
"Hopefully by then we'll have crowds back. Our desire is to have a crowd."
While there is yet to be a cup announcement, Ballarat has gained a feature race for its Boxing Day night race meeting.
The HRV has added the group 3 $24,000 Maori Miss Trotters Free-For-All for mares, 2200m, to complement the 24,000 Sokyola Sprint, 1710m.
Bray Raceway has also been allocated heats for the new timeslots of the Vicbred Super Series and Breeders Crown age classics.
Wednesday, November 4: Breeders Crown 2yo fillies' and colts/geldings' heats
Thursday, November 10: Vicbred Super Series 4yo mares' and entires/geldings' heats.
